This collection of resources aims to provide a liturgy which is biblical
in content, intelligible in language and appropriate to our time and culture.

Christians meet with the risen Christ. Jesus died in our place, was raised
from death and ascended to heaven where he is worshipped by the redeemed
people of God and the whole creation. Here on earth, Christians join in
the praises of the heavenly assembly.

God's people have always assembled with him. In the Old Testament period,
their identity was shaped by the experience at Mount Sinai. The law called
them to meet with God through the mediation of priests and Levites. The
ritual of temple and priesthood was superseded by the work of Jesus on
the cross. In the New Testament period, meeting together with God was
no less important (Hebrews 10.25). Through Christ, in one Spirit, we draw
near to the Father, to worship him, to learn from him, to be edified and
to encourage one another to love and good deeds, as we serve God in the
world.

No pattern for the meeting of Christians is set down by the New Testament.
In the book of Acts and the Epistles, however, there are indications of
what they did when they met. They sang, heard the Scriptures read and
explained, remembered and proclaimed the death of Jesus, and offered prayers
not only for themselves but for all people.

In time, Christians developed forms and patterns for meeting together,
which we call liturgy. The regular use of an agreed liturgy plays an educative
and pastoral role, for it can uphold doctrinal orthodoxy and build a framework
for devotion to God. It also helps maintain fellowship between congregations.

As Anglicans, we stand in the Reformation tradition of Archbishop Cranmer
who compiled what became The Book of Common Prayer (1662). Cranmer's aim
was to give Scripture and its teaching central place in liturgy. He sought
also to be clear, simple and intelligible so that the people of his day
could readily understand what was said and done in church.

For Australian Anglicans, The Book of Common Prayer was the only authorised
liturgy until 1978. With the publication in that year of An Australian
Prayer Book, there were more resources, a modernising of Cranmer's services
and an attempt to do in a fresh way for Australians what Cranmer had done
in the sixteenth century for England. Since 1978, other liturgies have
been produced in Australia and around the world, often because the earlier
revisions dated quickly. An Australian Prayer Book is well used and liked
in many places; for others it is too bookish and stilted.

This current edition of Sunday Services is an attempt to present services
which will glorify the God we serve and build up and encourage his people
when we gather in his name.